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Some Performances of Note At Goethe’s Art Festival

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Keziah on stage

The
internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and king of Blufunk- Keziah Jones, performed a solo
concert on the night of the opening event. Rare enough, this very special event
was topped by a live painting action by Nigerian artist, Native Maqari who
combines the traditions of mural-painting with comic and street art styles.

Keziah Jones’
very special musical style is a fusion between raw blues elements and edgy funk
rhythms. His roots in Yoruba music and Soul music can be considered a major
influence on his sound. His shows are legendary for his distinctive guitar-playing
styles and for playing his gigs most times with bare torso.

The
choreography of ARALAMO explores the spiritual and physical characteristics of
man from his vision to his realization in the face of his idealism.Performed by Sunday Israel Akpan, ARALAMO was
inspired by the Black Heritage Festival, which brought together roots of
African ancestral history and Africa’s traditional background. It was dedicated
to Etim Emmanuel, Virginia Okereku, Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe, one time
vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, victims of the last Dana Airline crash
and to all who lost their lives at the different bomb blasts.

In INPINYA
and BARIGA Crown Troupe presents their very personal view of Lagos; the
everyday struggles and the life of the younger generation in this gigantic
city. Caught in short and touching scenes, backed by pumping drum rhythms,
Crown Troupe of Africa performs right in your face and brings up stories of
personal responsibility and political engagement.

Jelili
Atiku’s Porongodowas an intervention
performance in public space that referenced the hysterical contents of human
history and attempted to show memorials of sacrifice, pains, sufferings and
callousness. It set in motion the interaction of organic and inorganic matters
through a construction of human abode and the presence of human body in the
space. Here, bones stood as a metaphorical statement of destruction and
degeneration.

The work of
Video Art Network (VAN) Lagos opened a multi-perspective picture of
contemporary Lagos. Evidently, the city has begat multiculturalism as an
insatiable infiniteness that defines its identity. It is noteworthy that
Nigeria’s vibrant digital video film industry, also known as Nollywood, has
been increasingly referenced with regards to making films about or from the
African continent. The vibrant film stories, being told by Nollywood, embody
the prevalent happenings that interface the Lagos landscape.

VAN Lagos
presented a compilation of works from various artists from different parts of
Africa. The artists and their works speak eloquently of the complexities of the
African continent, raising very pertinent questions and discourse on issues and
topics that define multiple specificities, trajectories and conditions in a
continent rich in history, social-political, cultural and economic conditions.VAN Lagos remains proud to pioneer the
exploration of video art both formally and conceptually in Nigeria.